Improvement in soda-water apparatus



' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.v

J. W.A TUFTS. SODA WATER APPARATUS.

Patented 1366.28, 1869:.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2; i J.W. TUFTS.

,SODA"'WATER APPARATUS.

188.88448. Patented 1388.28, 1888.

TED STATES JAMES W. TUFTS, oF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN' SODA-WATER APPARATUe Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 98,445, dated December 28, 1869. Y

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. TUFTS, of Medford, in thevcounty of Middlesex'and- State of Massachusetts, have inventedanImprovement inSoda-WaterApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptior., reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my improved soda-water apparatus,illustrating the manner in which the Sirup-cans are turned back to afford accessto the couplings or connections. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the apparatus with the Sirup-cans in an upright position. Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing one of the Sirup-cans turned back. Fig. 4 is a view of one of the Sirup-cans detached.

In that class of sodawater apparatus where the Sirup-cans have been placed in close proximity to the front of the casing the Sirupcocks have been connected directly to the fronts of the cans by means of coupling-nuts on the inside thereof. The limited space afforded within the cans, however, rendered it extremely difficult to insert and operate a wrench to tighten the coupling-nuts, and on account of these nuts the outlets were necessarily above the bottoms of the cans, and consequently they would not completely empty themselves, rendering it troublesome to clean or wash them out. Furthermore, on. account of the close proximity of the joints or connections to thefront of the apparatus the sirup often leaked ont onto the outside of the marble casing, producing an indelible stain, and thereby injuring its appearance. The position of the cans also caused them to interfere somewhat with the operation of connecting the draft-tube with the coolers.

My invention has forits object to overcome. these difficulties and objections; and it consists in connecting the Sirup-cocks to the cans by means of flexible tubes, which allow the cans to be turned back intoa position to afford convenient access to the couplings,which are thus exposed in a position to be easily operated upon, and by means of this construction I am'enabled to place the outlet of each Sirup-can at that portion of its bottom which is lowest and farthest removed from the front of the apparatus,wl1ich could not be done were a rigid connecting-pipe employed, as the `couplings would then be in an inaccessible position. All liability of the'jsirup leaking out onto the marble front is thus avoided', while the cans will yentirely empty or drain themselves, which greatly facilitates the operation of cleaning them out. Furthermore,

by turning back the Sirup-cans the couplings of the draft-tube are exposed, so that the operation of connecting it with the coolers may be easily performed.

To enable others skilled in the art to under- A stand vand use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, Arepresents the marble or outer casing of the apparatus, and B the metallic lining thereof.

C. C are the Sirup cans or vessels, which are arranged side by side in close proximity to the front of the apparatus, being held in place by'a removable rod a. The bottoms of the Sirup-cans are inclined downward from front to rear, and leach can is supported upon a leg b of sufficient length to insure the lowest portion of the bottom of the can being above the level of the Sirup-cocks E. y At the lowest portion of the bottom of each of the cans C is an outlet tube or nipple c, which is slightly inclined downward, and at the extremity of this nipple c is an enlargement d, over which is sprung the end of a short rubber tube G, the opposite end of which is sprung over a similar enlargement e on the .inner end of the Sirup-cock E, the latter being held in place by a nut f, screwed up tightly against the interior of the lining 13. The employment of a flexible connecting-tube, as above described, allows the Sirup-cans to be turned back, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, (two of the cans being. turned back in Fig. 1,) so as to aord convenient access to the couplings and nuts f,which are thus exposed in a position to be easily operated upon, and much time and labor are thereby saved, which, together with the simplicity and cheapness of the` connections, render my improvement particularly applicable to low-cost apparatus. Furthermore, the employment of fiexible connections enables me to so place "the outlet at the bottom of the can that it will entirely drain or empty itself, which could not be done if a rigid connectingfpipe were employed, as the can could not beiturn'edback and the conplingsor connections would then be in an inaccessible position. All liability of the sirup leaking out onto the outside of the marble casing is avoided by the above construction, while the perfect drainage ofthe cans greatly facilitates the operation of cleaning or washing them out.

Each of the twocans next adjoining the draft-tube H has formed in it a semicircular groove g,so that when these causare placed side by side acircular passage will be afforded for the drafttubeconvenient access to the couplings of which is aiorded when the cans are turned back, as seen4 in Eig., 1; and the operationy of connecting it with the coolers 1s thus greatly facilitated.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The Sirup-cocks E, connected with the bottoms of the cans-Cl by means of 'exible tubes G and pipes e, whereby the cans may be turned back to afford access to the couplings or connections, substantially as set forth.

JAMES W. TUFTS. Witnesses:

P. E. TESCHEMACHER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

